Unbreakable Bonds
by AnimationNut
Summary: There are some friendships that can never be broken, overcoming the barriers thrown in their midst. For Ariel, land was a barrier that was overcome. In the closing stages of her pregnancy, she is visited by her dearest friends, the ones who did not allow her drastic life decision to change anything between them. What they have is an unbreakable bond.


**I do not own The Little Mermaid.**

**Unbreakable Bonds**

There were quite a few things Ariel missed about the sea. Her family and friends were among those things, of course, but in this particular moment the redhead wished that having a baby on land was as simple as it was under the water. After all, mermaids only had to lay a small egg (which was hardly a painful process) and then wait for it to hatch.

When you were a human, it was _much _more difficult. Not only did you have to carry around the baby for nine months, you also had to push it out (at least, that's what Carlotta had told her). The sweet and kind housemaid had answered all of Ariel's eager questions. This was, after all, her very first experience with bearing a child-and in a human body no less.

And so Ariel lay on her soft and wide bed, her red hair framing her face as she stared at the arched white ceiling. Her hands rested on her swollen stomach, rubbing gentle circles as she hummed to herself. While she wouldn't change her life for anything in the world, she did wish that human childbearing wasn't so hard. It was awkward trying to walk, get dressed and pick things up when your belly stuck out.

"Only one more month," she whispered to herself. "And then I'll get to see my beautiful baby boy or girl."

As if hearing this, the growing baby gave a rather firm kick. Ariel gasped in pleasant surprise before giving a chuckle. "I know, I know." She murmured. "You want to come out. I do too, but we want to take our time so you can be a strong, healthy baby."

The kicking ceased and Ariel allowed herself to sink into the soft bed, her eyes fluttering closed for some much needed rest.

"_Ariel!"_

Her blue eyes snapped open and her face filled with puzzlement. "Eric?" She called uncertainly, for she had been certain her husband had left early that morning to attend to some royal business in the next town over.

"Ariel!" The voice called again, and this time Ariel knew exactly who it was. Beaming, she abandoned any notion of sleep and carefully got out of bed. She made her way over to the window and opened it, allowing the sea air to caress her cheeks. The eighteen-year old girl smiled happily down at the blue-and-yellow fish splashing in the water below, skirting the edge of the shoreline as he sped back and forth.

"Hi, Flounder!" She greeted her best friend. "It's so good to see you!"

Flounder stopped his splashing and shouting. He waved his fin eagerly up at the girl. "Hi, Ariel! I've missed you!"

Ariel smiled, resisting the urge to point out that he had visited her a few days ago. "I've missed you too. I'll be right down, okay?"

"Okay," Flounder agreed.

It was slightly frustrating to find that she couldn't travel outside as quickly as she had promised Flounder. It took nine minutes to walk from her second-floor royal bedroom to the marble steps leading to the beach. Flounder watched in concern as Ariel eased herself on the sand by the water, panting slightly as she went.

"Gee, I'm sorry Ariel." He apologized guilty. "I forgot you were having a baby. I can come back at another time, when you're not so tired."

"Not after I just got all the way down here." Ariel laughed, leaning against an outcropping of rock. She slipped her feet into the crystal blue water and smiled contentedly. "And I'm _about _to have a baby."

"It sure has been a long time." Flounder muttered, inspecting Ariel's stomach with an expression that was akin to awe.

"You're telling me." Ariel agreed. "I can't wait for her (or him) to come out into the world."

"Your dad is really excited, too." Flounder informed her. "It's all he talks about."

Ariel giggled. Oddly enough, despite being the youngest child she had managed to get married _and _pregnant first. "I bet he'll be over the moon if I have a boy."

"Nah. He's sure that you're going to have a girl." Flounder grinned. "I think he's decided that he'll forever be the only merman in the family."

Ariel burst into laughter, her hands holding her shaking stomach. After a moment she calmed down enough to speak. "Aw, poor Daddy. I guess having seven daughters have made him give up any hope of having a boy in the family."

"What do you think?" Flounder asked, bobbing gently in the waves. "Do you think it's a boy or girl?"

Ariel thought for a moment before smiling sheepishly. "I think Daddy's right."

"If he is, den I hope de girl is as difficult as you were."

Flounder yelped in surprise as the crustacean appeared beside him suddenly. He shot his fin out instinctively, catching Sebastian across the face and sending him flying onto the beach. Ariel placed a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing at Sebastian's bad luck and used the other hand to pluck Sebastian out of the sand.

"What was dat for, mon?" Sebastian rasped, spitting out grains of sand and glaring at the guppy in annoyance.

"You scared me!" Flounder protested. "I reacted!"

"I'll give you somet'ing ta be scared over," Sebastian grumbled, brushing the dirt from his shell. Flounder darted to Ariel's feet in panic, knowing that the crab could get rather menacing when truly angry.

"He's just teasing, Flounder." Ariel assured him. She held Sebastian in her hands and hovered him over her stomach. "Yes, your uncle Sebastian can be a real grump, but he's a big softie."

"Stop dat." Sebastian snapped. "I ain't no one's uncle! Bein' an uncle means bein' a babysitter."

"Aw, come on Sebastian. You did a great job with me." Ariel's blue eyes sparkled teasingly.

Sebastian snorted. "Leave de child wit' me and de'll decide ta make a deal with a sea witch ta become a mermaid for de rest of dere lives." But his expression softened as he stared at Ariel's swollen belly. "Child, I hope you put your Mudder through the torture she put me through."

"Don't say that!" Ariel whined, struck by sudden flashbacks of being chased by sharks and exploring places that were much too dangerous to be near in the first place. "I don't think I could take it if she disappeared for days on end."

Sebastian arched an eyebrow at the use of _girl_, but didn't comment. In fact, it would honestly surprise him if the youngest Triton daughter had a boy. "Den you'll know exactly what ya put your poor Fadder through."

"Alright, alright." Ariel rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Enough about my child and how much I deserve the justice of her turning out to be like me. How have you guys been?"

"Bored," Flounder answered honestly. "There's no one to play with anymore."

"What am I?" Sebastian asked indigently. "Crab cakes?"

"Worse. You're _serious_." Flounder said, a hint of teasing to his tone.

"Neptune knows someone's gotta be serious down dere," Sebastian muttered. "I'm surrounded by giggling mergirls and reckless fish."

Flounder opened his mouth to retort but Ariel pressed her foot against his mouth. "How are things at the palace?" Ariel asked the crab, hoping to prevent her two dearest friends from bickering as they so often did.

"De Sharkians are tryin' ta revolt against de peace treaty, but de king has everyt'ing under control." Sebastian assured the young princess. "Your sisters, however, are drivin' me up de wall."

The redhead's blue eyes lit up at the mention of her siblings. "They can't be as bad as me."

"You'd be surprised." Sebastian rolled his eyes tiredly. "Adella, the merman-crazy girl, keeps tryin' ta sneak out at night ta met some new fling."

Ariel burst into laughter. "I guess she hasn't found a successful escape route yet."

Sebastian smiled slightly. "Let's just say I've had enough practice in keepin' merprincesses in de palace, where dere supposed ta be."

"Apparently, not enough practice." Flounder muttered under his breath.

"Hey, we having a party down here?" A voice hollered from above, distracting the three below and stopping Sebastian and Flounder from having an argument.

Ariel peered up into the blue afternoon sky, shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the sun. She brightened upon seeing her seagull friend flying down towards them. Scuttle landed on the rock beside Ariel's head and shook his feathers out.

"Just having a chat." The princess informed him. "Glad you could join us."

"Wouldn't pass up a visit with you for anything in the world, sweetie." Scuttle said. "What'd I miss?"

"Talk about the baby and how Sebastian can't do anything right." Flounder said. Sebastian responded by pinching the guppy on the fin and Flounder winced. "Mostly talk about the baby," he muttered, casting an annoyed glance at the smug crustacean.

"I love babies! I know everything about them." Scuttle declared. "They cry all night and all day and humans never get any sleep around them."

"Sounds like fun." Flounder said sarcastically.

"Oh, Flounder." Ariel smiled, patting his head fondly. "One day you'll have children of your own."

"No way!"

"Yes way!" Ariel retorted. "And if one of them is a girl you'll name her after me because you love me so much."

"Will you call your baby Flounder if it's a boy?" Flounder asked.

"Probably not. Eric wants the name Anderson for a boy's name."

"What name do you want, sweetie?" Scuttle questioned.

"Well," Ariel said thoughtfully. "I suppose if I _do _have a boy, I wouldn't mind naming him Anderson. But if it's a girl like I believe, I want to name her Melody."

"Aw, that's a real pretty name. You hear that, hon? Your name is going to be Melody!" Scuttle told Ariel's stomach, gently patting it with his wing.

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," Ariel murmured, her eyelids becoming heavy as sudden exhaustion descended down upon her.

"Are you okay?" Flounder asked in concern as the redhead started to slip slowly down the base of the rock, her feet sinking deeper into the water.

"I'm fine, just tired." Ariel yawned, fighting to stay awake.

"Then you should get some sleep!" Scuttle exclaimed. "You need lots of rest for you and Melody."

"But I'm visiting with you guys. It would be rude to fall asleep."

Sebastian crawled up her arm and carefully eased her head against Scuttle's soft, feathery side. "Don' worry about us, Ari-elle. You go right ta sleep and we'll stay wit' you."

"Mm-kay." Ariel allowed her eyes to close. "I love you guys."

"And we love you, child." Sebastian said softly, tenderly brushing her bangs away from her forehead. After a moment, the warm sun, ocean breeze and the sound of lapping waves lulled the girl to sleep.

"You're one lucky girl, Melody." Scuttle whispered, resting his wing affectionately over Ariel's head. "Your mama is a heck of a woman, and she'll make a fine mama."

...

When Carlotta did not find the princess resting in her bed when she went to check on her late afternoon, she grew rather worried.

The kind-hearted housemaid walked quickly through the seaside castle, checking all of Ariel's favourite places-the ballroom, the kitchen and the library. But the redheaded girl was nowhere to be found.

"Vivian!" Carlotta hollered anxiously, stepping out of the library and spotting the maid lingering near the wide, floor-to-wall window overlooking the water. "Have you seen Princess Ariel anywhere?"

The raven-haired girl turned around, her mouth agape from what she had just seen. Soundlessly, she pointed at the glass. Frowning, Carlotta marched over and followed the finger. However, rather than being stunned by what she saw, she smiled fondly.

Ariel, who was known to spend more time with her sea friends rather than making human ones, was sleeping contentedly against a rock, her feet submerged in the lapping water. A seagull was perched on the rock by her head and the girl was using its side as a pillow. A crab sat on her shoulder and a guppy was comfortably snug between her ankles. All were sound asleep.

"Isn't...isn't that the seagull and crab that she brings in here all the time?" Vivian finally asked, managing to find her voice.

"Yes. I believe their names are Scuttle and Sebastian." Carlotta said, remembering the names the girl would use to address the sea creatures.

Vivian blinked. "_She _named them?"

"No, those _are_ their names. They were named by their parents as you and I were named by ours."

The girl was back to gaping. "But they're animals!"

"To us, yes. But to a girl who used to be a mermaid, they are her dearest friends." Carlotta said, a bit firmly. "Remember that the next time the princess brings them into the palace."

Still stunned, Vivian nodded and raced away to continue her work. Carlotta smiled slightly and cast another glance out the window. There were few people who could understand the amount of love and dedication Ariel displayed towards her sea friends. It was the consensus among the servants that Princess Ariel was an odd one.

_And how odd she is_, Carlotta chuckled to herself. _But Ariel with no oddity is no Ariel at all._

**Review please, but no flames. My first TLM fic, so I apologize if anyone is OOC.**


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